According to a recent study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Butler Columbia Aging Center, the loss of a close family member can accelerate the aging process. The research revealed that individuals who have lost a parent, partner, sibling, or child exhibit signs of advanced biological aging when compared to those who have not faced such losses. This study was published in JAMA Network Open.
Biological aging refers to the progressive decline in the functionality of cells, tissues, and organs, which increases the likelihood of developing chronic diseases. Researchers evaluate this aging process through DNA markers called epigenetic clocks.
“Very few studies have investigated how the loss of a loved one at different life stages impacts these DNA markers, particularly among samples that represent the U.S. population,” noted Allison Aiello, PhD, the James S. Jackson professor of health longevity in Epidemiology and lead author of the study. “Our findings reveal significant associations between losing loved ones throughout life, from childhood to adulthood, and accelerated biological aging in the U.S.”
This research, conducted in partnership with the Carolina Population Center at UNC Chapel Hill, indicates that the consequences of loss on aging can be observed well before reaching middle age, potentially contributing to health disparities across racial and ethnic groups.
The researchers utilized data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health, which began in 1994-95 and has been tracking participants from adolescence into adulthood.
To assess familial loss during childhood and adolescence within this longitudinal study, Aiello and her team monitored participants through various phases. Wave I included a survey of 20,745 adolescents in grades 7-12, primarily aged between 12 and 19. These participants have been continuously tracked. Wave V was conducted between 2016 and 2018, involving interviews with 12,300 of the original participants. In this latest wave, conducted from 2016 to 2018, approximately 4,500 participants were invited for an additional home examination, providing blood samples for DNA analysis.
The research focused on losses experienced in childhood or adolescence (up to 18 years) and adulthood (ages 19 to 43). It also analyzed the frequency of losses during these periods. Biological aging data was examined through blood DNA methylation, utilizing various epigenetic clocks, including DunedinPACE, which was developed by co-author Dan Belsky and his collaborators at Duke University.
About 40 percent of the study’s participants went through at least one loss in adulthood, specifically between ages 33 and 43. Loss of a parent was more frequently reported in adulthood (27 percent) compared to childhood and adolescence (6 percent). A higher percentage of Black (57 percent) and Hispanic (41 percent) participants experienced at least one loss compared to White participants (34 percent).
Participants who faced two or more losses were found to have older biological ages in several epigenetic measurements. Specifically, experiencing two or more losses during adulthood was significantly correlated with biological aging compared to having one or no losses.
“The relationship between losing loved ones and health issues throughout life is well-documented,” Aiello explained. “However, certain life stages may be more sensitive to the health risks linked to loss, and the accumulation of these losses seems to play a crucial role.”
For instance, the early loss of a parent or sibling can be particularly distressing, often resulting in mental health challenges, cognitive difficulties, increased heart disease risk, and a heightened likelihood of premature death. The health risks associated with losing close family members persist at any age, and repeated losses can further raise the risks of heart disease, mortality, and dementia, with effects that may become evident long after the event itself.
Aiello and her co-authors emphasize that, while any age-related loss can lead to enduring health detriments, the consequences may be more pronounced during crucial developmental phases such as childhood or early adulthood. “While we don’t yet fully comprehend the mechanisms by which loss contributes to poor health and elevated mortality rates, biological aging may indeed be one pathway, as indicated by our findings. Future studies should aim to identify ways to lessen unequal losses among at-risk groups. Additionally, providing support and resources for coping with trauma is essential for those who experience loss,” Aiello concluded.
Other co-authors include Aura Ankita Mishra from North Carolina State University; Chantel Martin, Brandt Levitt, Kathleen Mullan Harris, and Robert Hummer from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Lauren Gaydosh and Debra Umberson from the University of Texas at Austin; and Daniel Belsky from the Columbia Mailman School and Butler Columbia Aging Center.
This research was funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (R01MD013349); Add Health (P01 HD31921); Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (F32HD103400), along with support from 23 additional federal agencies and foundations; National Institute on Aging (U01 AG071448 and U01AG071450) and the Carolina Population Center (P2CHD050924).
Dan Belsky holds the rights to the DunedinPACE epigenetic clock technology, which is licensed to TruDiagnostic.
